Hot Chocolate and Cookies
by Numbuh25-KND
Summary: After a night out ends up with Hoagie and Abby alone at Hoagie's house, the two end up confessing to things they never thought they would. One-shot, pure fluff. Also a songfic, kind of. Set when the gang is twelve. I will write a chapter for any other pairing if I get enough requests.


**A/N: Bigger A/N at the end. Operation: FORGET will still be updated at normal times. Enjoy my first one-shot and review please! :D**

**(oh, and btw, the song in this fic is called 'The Saltwater Room' by Owl City)**

Hot Chocolate and Cookies

-A Hoagie and Abby one-shot-

-By Numbuh 25-

~(*)~

It was meant to be all five of them, that night. At Lime Ricky's. But Nigel had gotten tired and given the idea up, Wally had been in a foul mood ever since Ace had shown up after they arrived, and so excused himself with a low grumble, and Kuki had been called in by her parents. So, it was just the two of them; just Hoagie and Abby. They weren't really having much fun at Ricky's; it never was much fun when there was just one or two in a group. To have a good time at the strictly-kids soda bar, you had to be there in a group of at least four.

'So, you gonna go home then?' Hoagie asked, pretty sure that Abby was about to take off like the others, for two reasons. One, she didn't want to be stuck there feeling awkward with him, and two, because she looked a bit down. In fact, she had all day, which was unusual for her.

Hoagie kind of wished that she would stay though, but of course, he didn't tell her that. He probably wouldn't ever tell her, but he had had a crush on Numbuh 5 since almost the moment they'd met. How could someone be so perfect? So beautiful, so calm, so knowing, kind, caring, cool, collected, so... everything. She never messed up, never put a foot wrong. Actually, she was always the one who seemed to comfort everyone else when they were freaking out because _they _had put a foot wrong.

He was so busy thinking about this, about _her, _that he almost didn't hear the reply.

'Mm, Numbuh 5 don't think so. Cree's at home, blowing up at anyone and everyone at any and every chance she gets. I kinda wanna get out of it all right now.'

For a moment, Hoagie didn't say anything, _couldn't _say anything. He had no idea what to say. But then, he found the words slipping out of his mouth, in a rapid-motion movement that he couldn't quite control;

'Y-you could come t-to my house,' he said, asking it more than saying it. Instantly, he began kicking himself mentally. He was so stupid, he was like the opposite of everything that Abby was. Where she was dignified, he was getting laughed at. Where she was co-ordinated and as light-footed as a cat, he was bumbling with everything he touched, falling over his own feet.

_You're an idiot, _he told himself. But Abby's answer surprised him so much that he thought she might have noticed him jumping a little in his seat.

'Y'know, Hoags? I actually wouldn't mind that,' she said matter-of-factly, turning her head up from the bartop to look at him through those shining, deep brown eyes.

Abby had just had enough of the day. Of her sister, mostly. She always found a way to make her day just that little extra bit _less_ enjoyable. The only upside was that she'd ended up alone with Hoagie; not that anything would ever come of it. Yes, she liked him -a _lot- _and had for a long time, but he didn't like _her. _He couldn't. No. Not possible.

How could anyone be as cute as that? So sweet, so awkward in the way that you just can't help but smile at, so comforting, so... so _him. _She couldn't help it, there was something about him that just made her want to sigh and hug him. And that's what scared her most. Hoagie was the only exception to her rule. The only person who could ever make her lose her cool, who could ever bring down the walls that guarded her level-headed demeanour.

At first, she was only going to politely refuse his offer for her to go to his house. He was probably only being polite, and didn't really want her there anyway. But then, she stopped and thought; _I'm going to be miserable at home, I'll be miserable here on my own, I may as well feel a little better with him._

So, it was settled. And Abby walked home with Hoagie. It was about 9:15 when they got to his house. Hoagie's curfew was 9:30, even though it was a Saturday, since he -and everyone else- was only twelve. He shouted a quick hello to his mother, who was upstairs, and then headed off to the living room.

Feeling a little awkward, the two sat down, with Numbuh 2 on the couch, and Numbuh 5 sitting on the arm rest.

They sat there, both uncomfortable and unsure of what to do, for a while, until Hoagie turned on the TV, and a movie came on.

'Oh, I love this movie!' Abby exclaimed. And somehow, suddenly, the awkward barrier was broken. Maybe they both realised that the other still didn't know that they liked them, or maybe they figured that they had been friends for as long as they could remember, and it shouldn't be awkward at all, but Abby slid off the armrest and next to Hoagie, and once again they were laughing and talking and joking around just like the best friends they were.

Eventually, the time came when Numbuh 5 thought it was time to go home.

A sinking feeling immediately stumbled into their chests. They didn't want to part. Abby had almost forgotten about Cree completely when she was here. The whole miserable hole she fell into when her sister sneered at her just dissappeared here.

And Hoagie had been starting to feel so comfortable around Abby. He no longer stumbled over every word (well, sometimes he would, but it had gotten better. Even so, there were times when the light caught her eye, or the glint in her smile when she laughed, or when that one strand of black hair fell over her cheek... enough said, I think) and he had started to feel it become _easy_ to be around her, easy to just go with the flow and not worry about every word that he said, and what she would think of it.

'Uhm, Abby?' He asked, blushing madly as she stood sadly at the door.

'Yeah?'

'You wouldn't want to, maybe- I don't know, uh... sleep over or something?' He managed to choke out. _What happened to Mr. Confident over there? As soon as I have to ask her something the cooler version of me runs and hides? What is with that?_ He started to say to himself. Abby turned around though, and smiled happily. She looked glad to have been offered to stay over, yes, but she also looked relieved at not having to leave and not having to go home.

Her father was contacted, and her things brought over (once they asked Hoagie's mother's permission, of course) and they were sitting back on the couch within the hour.

Hoagie was enjoying the movie, but not as much as he was enjoying joking and laughing and talking with Abby in the commercial breaks. He almost cracked with happiness when he heard a deep, satisfied sigh from beside him.

There was something between the two, that night. Something different. Something new. Something that both of them were excited about and afraid of at the same time. But it was a good afraid, the kind of buzzing you get when something big is about to happen.

They both knew it was there, some sort of spark, a little hint of something, but no-one wanted to mention it. Even so, they both loved that little spark. Didn't want this night to end, they both were just enjoying being with each other.

_Thank goodness Tommy's at his friend's tonight, _he thought, wondering what kind of disaster this night would have been if 'The Tommy' had been present.

It was 10:30.

The movie had ended, and everything had stopped.

Hoagie's mother had gone to bed, leaving the two in the lounge room the only ones awake.

The extreme quietness in the house seemed to swallow almost everything whole. It seemed to be the silence that was causing the darkness, or the other way around, maybe. But it wasn't a sinister darkness, or a scary silence. It was almost peaceful. Especially since the two kids, sitting on that old couch, could not have asked for anything more in the world at that moment.

'I'm hungry.'

Except maybe that.

Neither of them had eaten much for dinner, and now that was starting to catch up with them. Abby followed her friend into the kitchen, where he began to pull out the milk, cocoa, mugs... everything needed to make hot chocolate.

At least, everything needed to make the simple hot chocolate. Abby's version was _much _more complicated.

'Wait right there!' she called up, smiling as she walked over to where Hoagie stood, miliseconds away from pouring the milk into the mugs.

'What are you doing, fool?'

'I'm making hot chocolate,' Hoagie replied slowly.

'Yeah. The _boring _way! Have you ever had hot chocolate the _Abigail Lincoln _way?' she asked, brushing him aside and taking up the carton of milk herself. Hoagie frowned slightly in confusion.

'No,' he replied even more slowly.

'Well, then I'm gonna need you to get a few things. We'll start with some maple syrup. And some icing sugar, a bar of chocolate, a couple of wafer buiscuits, whipped cream and... and one cheese grater, I think.'

Hoagie stood there for a while, slightly stunned, but then headed off to gather the ingredients that Abby would need.

When everything was gathered, Numbuh 5 went to work. She mixed, beated, stirred, added, checked and adjusted. And then, when she was sure everything was satisfactory, she stuck them into the microwave.

'Okay, so that'll take about nine or ten minutes,' she said, brushing off her hands, to remove all the spilt cocoa she'd gotten on them.

'_Nine or ten?' _Hoagie repeated in disbelief. Usually he ony had to wait a minute and a half maximum for his hot chocolate.

'Well, you've never had _my _hot chocolate then,' Abby stated simply when he tried to explain that to her.

So, for a couple of those minutes, the two of them stood in the kitchen, not saying much. Then, Abby found Hoagie's speaker system, hooked up to his mp3 player.

'Whatcha been listenin' to, Hoags?' She asked, already pushing the button that started the music. A soft, sweet guitar melody started up, accompanied by a xylophone-like computer made backing.

'What's this song?'

'It's, uhm, a song that I like..'

'Huh.'

The vocals began after a few seconds, a male's voice, singing in innocent tones.

_I opened my eyes, last night,_

_and saw you in the lowlight,_

_walking down by the bay, on the shore,_

_staring up at the stars that aren't there anymore._

Abby liked the song, and even though she had never heard it before, it sounded familiar. It had a certain unique quality to it that she couldn't quite put her finger on. But she still liked it. Suddenly, she got a crazy idea. She wasn't sure if she wanted to do it or not, but by that time, she was already starting to do it.

She walked over to Hoagie, and, blushing slightly (Abby? _Blushing? _Abigail Lincoln, Blushing?) she grabbed him by the hands and pulled him into the middle of the kitchen.

'C'mon, Hoags, let's dance,' she said, not believing herself what she was actually doing. And judging from the look on his face, cheeks red and eyes wide under his yellow goggles, Hoagie wasn't expecting it either.

_Is she actually doing this? _Hoagie had to keep asking himself. He couldn't believe that he was dancing -to the song that made him think of her, no less- with the girl he had liked for who-knows-how-long. But, he figured, this probably didn't mean anything to her. It was probably just for fun. So, he did something he never thought he would be able to do, ever;

he just went with it.

But little did he know that it _did _mean something to Abby. It meant a lot.

_You happened to look, and see,_

_the tunnels all round me,_

_running into the dark underground,_

_all the subways around create a great sound._

Then, Abby realised something. The first was that she knew this song, had heard it on the radio before sometime. She remembered it, but only bits of the chorus she knew the lyrics to. But the second was that she was actually dancing, _slow dancing, _with _Hoagie Gilligan. _

What the heck?!

But what was more, was that he seemed to be enjoying it as much as Abby herself was. _Is this a dream? _she thought to herself.

_If it is, I don' t want to wake up._

So, she kept dancing.And when it got to the part -the chorus- that she knew, she did another thing she never thought she _ever _would have. Something that actually made Hoagie look up at her in shock.

She sang.

_Time together isn't ever quite enough..._

And, however shocked Hoagie might have been, he still foung it within himself to sing the next bit of the song.

_When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home..._

And so, they took it in turns to sing, eaching taking every second line, Abby first, singing the higher, female part, while Hoagie took the male's part.

_What will it take to make or break this hint of lo-ove..._

_Only time, only ti-i-i-ime..._

They went through another verse, with Hoagie singing the full part, and Abby just enjoying the look in his eye, the sound of his voice, the fluttery beating of her own heart.

_Can you believe that the crew has gone?_

_And they wouldn't let me sign on._

_All my islands have sunk, in the deep,_

_so I can hardly relax, or even oversleep._

_But I feel more with your hand, in mine,_

_when we walk along the shoreline._

_I guess we'll never know,_

_why sparrows love the snow,_

_we'll turn off alll of the lights and set this ballroom aglow._

And before they knew it, Abby was singing again, with Hoagie taking every second line.

_Time together isn't ever quite enough..._

_When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home..._

_What will it take to make or break this hint of lo-ove..._

_Only time, only ti-i-i-ime..._

_When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?..._

_If this is what I call home, why does it feel so alone?..._

_So tell me darling do you wish we'd fall in lo-ove..._

_All the time, All the ti-i-i-ime._

They danced around the kitchen like that for what seemed like forever, only existing in that moment, everything else forgotten. Somehow, Abby's hat and Hoagie's cap and goggles ended up discarded on the bench, and they were left staring clearly into each other's eyes. It was magic, it seemed to be impossible, but there it was, happening to them at that exact moment. Somehow, they just knew, just realised their feelings for each other, but they still wanted to hear it for real, just to make it official.

When the song finally finished, the two took a deep breath, as if somehow the air was now different. In a way, it was, I guess.

There was a calm silence for about twenty seconds. When finally, Abby spoke up, only to be cut off, though, by Hoagie, who had decided that now was no time to act like the chicken he was, the chicken he wanted to be, and instead took it upon himself to start this very _big _conversation.

'Hoagie, I-'

'No, wait.'

He cleared his throat, got down on one knee (no, it's not that, they're only twelve. He just thought it would be more... _sincere_ that way)

'Abigail Lincoln, I would just like to say one thing. That every second, of every day, ever since I first saw your face, I have been crazy about you. The smiles, the tears, the joys, the fears, I love them all, because they're yours. And I hope that maybe, someday, I can share all those things with you. Because you're everything, everything that I need and everything that I want. And I can't imagine myself ever being happy again if you weren't in my life.

'Abby Lincoln, I am madly, crazily, and _completely _in love with you.'

Abby struggled to keep her eyes dry. She wanted to let all the emotion out now, but she still had something to say as well.

'Hoagie,' she breathed, 'If you told me three years ago that I would be standing here today, confessing everything to you, I would have said you were crazy. But now that it's happening, it couldn't feel more right. Even though your jokes drive me crazy, I still treasure every single one of them, just because they came out of _your _mouth. You're cute, you're sweet, and most of all, I know that when I'm with you, I don't have to try to keep my cool. Because I lose my cool with you every day, Hoagie. And I love you too.'

It was at that point that Abby lost her composure. She started crying, tears of joy, throwing herself into Hoagie's arms, where he returned the embrace just as hard. When they finally let go, about a full three minutes later, they both knew what was about to happen.

They were just standing there, when it happened. They got closer, then closer, then finally, their lips met. It was like all those emotions, all those bottled up feelings from all those years had just exploded into that kiss. Both their hearts began to beat faster, throwing their breathing out of time. It was magic. In the middle of Hoagie's kitchen, it happened, but it didn't matter where they were.

It.

Was.

Happening.

And that's all they needed.

Then;

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

The microwave's alarm went off, signalling that the hot chocolates were ready. Abby gave Hoagie a small, meaningful smile, then went to put the finishing touches on their drinks.

A little bit of whipped cream, a cookie, and a little marshmallow.

Done.

They carried the huge drinks, piled high with thick, frothy cream and little pink mini-marshmallows, back into the lounge room. Hoagie put on a DVD for them to watch, but within half an hour, the two were asleep, mugs standing empty on the table in front of them, with Abby curled up next to Hoagie on the couch, a thick blanket curled around the both of them.

And no-one could have ever asked for anything else.

**A/N: Did you like that? Okay, I know that maybe they're a little OOC, but I liked writing it, okay? And don't worry, everyone, Operation: FORGET is still running, I just wrote this late one night because I was bored. My first one-shot, and I was thinking of turning it into a two or three shot, y'know, follow the others as they leave Ricky's? I don't know, I'll do that if I get enough reviews asking for it.**

**So, if you want to see what Kuki and Wally, or Nigel and Rachel get up to while Abby and Hoagie are here, then review and tell me that! **

**Alright, that's it! Bye!**

**So, you know you wanna! Press the blue button. C'mon, I dare you! ;)**

**-Numbuh 25 out**


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